In Our Own Way We Always Have Been
by Marissa Davis
Summary: No matter what they knew the truth...  Major BRATHAN and minor Leyton and Naley ONE SHOT! Please read you won't be disappointed!
1. Chapter 1

IN OUR OWN WAY WE ALWAYS HAVE BEEN 

While on the road Brooke in the drivers seat Skillz next to her and everyone else in the back of Rachel's car. Haley was reading out loud some of the comments people wrote in Nathan's yearbook from two years ago.

"Okay you guys I bet you can guess who wrote this." She said and grinned."Hey hot shot, she started." Everyone looked at Brooke immediately who looked at everyone in the mirror and smirked." I can't even remember writing that." She said laughing everyone else did as well, Haley continued. _"Hey hot shot partying with you this year was a blast I know we will have more fun this summer and next year before we really kick it up at Duke together the next year! I love you Scott thanks for always being there! Love Always Brooke Davis…. P.S. the pictures of us in the back well if you can guess we look hot as hell!"_

Once again everyone laughed at their friend.

"So Brooke you knew Nathan wanted to go to Duke?" Haley asked Brooke looked at her and said, "yeah we talked about when we were younger." She stole a glance at Nathan who hadn't said anything through the mirror. He was staring at her intensely like he used to. Brooke shivered and looked away. No one ever made her feel like that by just looking at her not even Lucas or Chase.

Haley let it go and flipped the pages to the back. "Well let's see those pictures." "Yeah since you two (she put up her fingers as quotation marks) look hot as hell." Peyton said sarcastically. Brooke turned around and stuck her tongue out at Peyton. Peyton laughed and did the same thing back and Brooke laughed as well. Brooke was so glad that she and Peyton were best friends again god she missed her, she loved her like a sister I mean she was her family! Haley was always a close friend who had been there for her but Peyton would always be her sister that is why they call it a BFF! She smiled at the thought.

"I found them." Haley said bringing Brooke out of her thoughts about her and Peyton. "Was that the beach house?" she asked Nathan. He looked at it and smirked. "Yeah it was." The picture was of the two of them sitting side by side at the table playing I Never and smiling. Haley turned the page and found the other one and kind of zoned out on it. "Hales you okay?" Lucas asked. "Yeah I don't remember that one, was all she said." Nathan looked at it and couldn't help but smile at the memory. "What is it?" Skills asked. Nathan looked up and tried to play it off like it didn't mean anything and said, "It's just us dancing…probably drunk or something." He added quickly. Brooke looked at him, but he looked away. "I wanna see." Peyton said. Haley passed the book to Lucas and Peyton.

They didn't seem to care about the pictures. Lucas could care less about Nathan and Brooke. Yeah he loved her as a friend and would always have a soft spot for her, but he was so in love with Peyton it was scary. Haley looked at Nathan, " So when was it?" "The beginning of last year, before I met you." "Okay." She said she didn't need to worry the tape was in the past and so was the picture; she was going to let this go. She yawned and turned away from Nathan to sleep. Nathan knew that move she was okay with it and was just tired. He looked at Lucas and Peyton who were in front of him cuddling and sleeping together. They had already passed the book to Skillz. Nathan was glad they finally figured it out. Lucas had gone back and forth between Brooke and Peyton for too long everyone knew they belonged together he was happy they finally saw it. He smiled at them.

"Damn you two were close." Skillz said to Brooke. "We were just friends." "Yeah this picture definitely says just friends." Skillz said sarcastically. "What we are just friends!" Brooke said defensively. "Okay I believe you I guess, but you guys do look good together, until the tape it always surprised me that you guys weren't the ones to hook up and get married." She just looked at him. He shrugged and said, "Something to think about." And went to sleep. She grabbed the yearbook and looked at both of the pictures, she smiled at the one Skillz was making a big deal about. _2 years ago._

"_Nathan I want to go home!" Peyton screamed. "No we aren't going anywhere this is my party I have to stay!" "Fine god you are such a son of a bitch I'm going home!" "Fine!" he yelled. Peyton walked out the door and Nathan was pissed at the moment and needed a drink. Brooke saw the whole thing and walked up to Nathan they were pretty close so she thought she could cheer him up. "Hey hot shot." He looked at her and had to grin a little even though he was beyond pissed at Peyton. Leave it to Brooke to make him feel better just by calling him her normal nickname. "Brooke." He nodded he really wasn't in the mood. "Lets dance boy toy!" she grabbed his hand and her drink and led him to the dance floor that every one created. Once they were there he took a sip of his beer. "I'm not in the mood Brooke, Peyton and I got into this fight and I don't really want to dance." He sighed. "Look Nate I'm sorry about Peyton you two are just having a rough time you'll make up and everything will be fine." Man he had to give it to her she did know how to talk to him and calm him down. He took another sip and nodded. "Your right she just needs to cool off." He said. "Okay good as for right now." He didn't let her finish before grabbing her waist and pulling her close to him. She held her beer in her right hand and had her left arm around his neck, while his right arm was around her waist and the other was holding his beer. They were moving rhythmatically to the music as they kept moving their heads closer together without noticing it. It felt like the most natural thing in the world. They could feel the heat and the sparks that were always there, but they chose to ignore. When their lips almost touched they heard Tim fall on his ass after being pushed away by Bevin. They turned to look at each other and laughed at their friend. She raised her cup and toasted, "Here's to a new year." He smiled at her and raised his cup to meet hers and turned his head to capture her lips. They were both still holding their cups up and touching while her arm was around his neck and his around her waist totally oblivious to the rest of the world. They were smiling and their lips were merely centimeters apart. Right as they about kissed Tim grabbed a random ass camera and took the picture of them. _Present.

Brooke sighed and said, "Wow we looked really happy." She remembered everything that they went through that no one else knew about. Nathan's voice brought her out of thought when he said huskily, "We were really happy." Her head snapped up and they locked eyes. The heat and the sparks were still there after 18 years of knowing each other and being best friends to being a lot more to being barely anything back to being almost friends. She had to tear her eyes away to drive. He was the only one who knew everything about her. He knew her thoughts before she said them, and all of her secrets and she knew the same for him. Even after their time apart while he dated and married Haley even when she left him for Chris and music. Brooke was there, but then it got to be too hard so she stopped coming by and he understood. From the second he opened the door the day Haley left with Chris and saw Brooke on the other side he knew _it _ was still there and always would be, but as usual they had to hide it.

They would act like they were nothing more than friends like they never had anything. No one could know. He was with Peyton then Haley and she was with Lucas then Felix then Lucas again and then Chase. They grew apart in their time apart but _it _was still there and there was nothing they could do. You don't choose your soul mate it chooses you. They knew each other inside out, but chose to ignore the moments…Well most of them they couldn't deny the times when they were alone and can be themselves without any act. They knew the fake smiles from the real ones. The only time either of them had been truly happy was when they were with each other. But they could never be together again, even though they would give anything to. So for now they would steal glances at each other all of the time and think about each other constantly. At least they have their memories, mostly for just the two of them but for the few that are in the yearbook no one understands the importance of those real smiles or the fact that those were the early days of their affair. If you want to get technical they have been together since the second they were born.

Their parents were friends and immediately introduced Nathan to Brooke and they were inseparable since then. But no one knew and that was ok because they knew and never forgot. In every moment alone or every wonderful memory they have they would know that they were in each other's hears no matter what. Nathan could never give his to Haley, because Brooke had had it for 18 years and would forever Chase could never have Brooke's because it had always and would always belong to Nathan. They knew the truth that they were the love of each other's lives and would always be there for each other. Everyone else would assume it would just be friendship but they knew differently. Who knew that Skillz was right, well he couldn't know it was their secret and their secret alone.

She looked at the picture and at Nathan again he looked at her and they shared a look and they both thought the same thing…_I'll love you forever my heart is yours and mo matter what we are married forever…In our own way we always have been. _The end


	2. What We Will Always Feel

**Hey so because I got some really great reviews for this I will do a follow up chapter I hope you like it and please review to tell me what you think!! Oh the first chapter took place on the way to Honeygrove and this one is right after the prom in Honeygrove.**

After walking in on Lucas and Peyton Brooke just needed a little air. She honestly wasn't mad she didn't have any feelings for Lucas anymore. The truth is she only wished she could say the same for the other Scott brother, the one that no matter what she would never stop loving. After the long car ride and the most mind-blowing blast from the past little talk with Nathan she really needed to just clear her head. She saw a gazebo in the middle of the town and decided to sit down. She thought about everything her child hood and the fact her parents didn't give a damn about her, the fact that because of something she did a long time ago Chase would never want to be with her again, and because no matter how she thought about it she was completely alone.

It was true Lucas had Peyton, Mouth had Rachel, Bevin had Skillz and then there was Chris but she wasn't going to go there again. And last but not least Nathan had Haley. She thought that last part rather bitterly. The more she thought about it the sadder she got. She really missed Nathan, she missed their time together he always knew what to say to make her feel better and she could always just be herself and he loved her anyway. She shook her head of that thought. He loved Haley not her. Just thinking that brought tears to her eyes and she didn't hold them in either. Brooke just sat there and started sobbing she was shaking from crying so hard and she didn't even hear someone come into the gazebo and sit down next to her.

It wasn't until he had put his arm around that she knew someone was there and she jumped when she felt him pull her into his arms. She looked up and immediately pulled away and started to wipe her eyes. "What are you doing here?" She asked she thought no one else was awake anymore.

"I was on a walk and I saw you come in here." He said.

"You didn't have to come in here though." She said trying to make him leave.

"Why are you acting like this?" He asked.

"How am I supposed to act Nathan? I am all alone and it's because of you!" She yelled angrily at him, she was shaking again because she knew she was still alone. He tried to move closer to her but she started to get up when he grabbed her arm and said, "stay with me Brooke." She thought back to the last time he had said that. _Flashback_

_Brooke drove over to Nathan's house to finally end their affair. God Brooke just got disgusted with herself thinking she was having an affair with a married man. _

_She pulled into the driveway of his house. It was empty she knew his mom was still in rehab and his dad lived at the beach house. She started banging on the door loudly. She didn't care that it was the middle of the night she was ending this, because she had just spent the whole night with a crying Haley and she couldn't take it anymore. _

_He opened the door and he wasn't wearing a shirt just basketball shorts. He didn't even get a word in before Brooke pushed past him into the house. Nathan followed her into the living room. _

"_Hey baby what are you doing here?" He asked_

"_No don't baby me Nathan I came here to end this… what ever it is." Brooke said._

"_What why?" He asked fully awake now._

"_Why I don't know because your married maybe, and I just spent the last 2 hours listening to your wife crying about how much she misses you and how much she loves you!" She yelled. Nathan walked over to Brooke and put his hands around her waist. Brooke tried to push him off but he was too strong._

"_This isn't what you want I know you." He said looking into her eyes._

"_It doesn't matter your married and we're through Nathan." She said trying to pull away, but he wouldn't let her. He only pulled her closer and asked, "Do you love me?" Brooke just looked at him and sighed and said, "What does that have to do with anything?" _

"_Just answer the question Brooke do you love me?" He pressed his forehead against hers and waited for the answer. She couldn't look away and she couldn't lie. "Yes of course I love you." She said. "Then will you do something for me?" Nathan asked. She just nodded still looking at him. "Stay with me Brooke." _

"_Nathan I can't." She said there were tears welling up in her eyes. _

"_Brooke I love you you're the love of my life please don't leave me." He had tears in his eyes also as he was begging her to stay with him. _

"_Nathan" she whispered as the tears poured out of her eyes. "We can't do this as much as I love you we can't its wrong." _

"_No it isn't." He said._

_Brooke just stared at him with tears pouring down her face and Nathan didn't hesitate another moment and he crashed his lips into hers. It was passionate beyond words and there was so much heat. The kissed lingered until neither one could breathe any longer. She pulled away and their foreheads were touching again. They both knew this was it and that kiss was a good-bye kiss, which is why it felt so different than all of their other ones. _

_She sighed knowing if she didn't leave now she wouldn't be able to and she started walking past him, but he grabbed her arm gently and looked into her eyes and asked again, "stay with me Brooke." She looked up at him with sadness in her eyes her heart was breaking with every passing second, but she had to leave. She looked away and kept walking slowly to the door._

_She opened to the door with fresh new tear coming down her face and she looked at him whispered, "good bye Nathan." And walked out the door. Nathan just stood there and a single tear ran down both of his cheeks at the moment the door closed, which was the moment his hear shattered into a million pieces and he never got it back."_

Present

"You didn't stay." Was all he said. She sat back down next to him.

"I couldn't." She said. Nathan stood up and walked over to the railing and leaned against it.

"You didn't love me enough to stay." He said looking down. Brooke looked at him disbelieving.

"Do you really think I left because I didn't love you?" She asked.

"Well obvious not enough to stay and be with me!" He yelled Brooke stood up and walked over to him and slapped him hard across the cheek. He was stunned.

"How can you think I didn't love you Nathan? I love you more than anything in the world and I left because I loved you enough to let you go which is what I did!" She screamed at him. He looked at her like he had when she left and he grabbed the side of her face and slammed his lips into hers.

She didn't hesitate to respond and deepen it immediately. He turned her around and pinned her against the railing and they pulled apart when they couldn't breathe. He pressed his forehead against hers like he had before and looked into her eyes.

"I love you more than anything in the world too." He said breathlessly and backed up and walked out of the gazebo. Brooke walked to the entrance and it was her turn to watch him walk away and a single tear ran down both of her cheeks at the same time as her broke into a million pieces knowing she would never get it back.

The End 

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